What Is Love?
Heart Prep
Take a minute to humble yourself before the Lord, and ask Him to show you if you have a loving attitude towards others.
1 Corinthians 13:13 “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
Chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians was written to remind us that it is essential that we love each other. The word “love” in this chapter is the Greek word “agapé” which means “love and goodwill”. “Agapé” love is the kind of love and goodwill that shows favor to others, which is different than the way we typically use the word “love” today. You may have used the word “love” when speaking about your favorite food, someone’s clothing choice, and how you emotionally feel about someone. For example: “I love macaroni and cheese!” “I love those earrings, where did you get them?” “I love spending time with my best friend, she’s awesome.” If you use the word “love” in the previous ways, you’re using it as a verb, which is an action word – something you do or feel. However, the word “love” in 1 Corinthians is a noun and is referring to an attitude you have, not something that you do.
Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-4. These verses are telling us that our actions do not necessarily show true love. Actions that seem good, if done with the wrong motive or attitude, are not truly done in love. For example, if we help our mom with the dishes because she asks us to help, but we have a bad attitude about helping, we are not truly loving. God wants us to have love for each other that extends beyond actions and is an attitude that we have deep down inside that changes our motives, and the way we speak, act, and think. God’s love shows goodwill, patience, humility, and kindness.
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-13, and in verses 4 through 7 replace “love” with your name. (put your name in the blanks below and then read these verses out-loud) “___________ is patient, ___________ is kind and is not jealous; ___________ does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; she does not seek her own, she is not provoked, she does not take into account a wrong suffered, ___________ does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; ___________ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ___________ never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When ___________ was a child, she used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when ___________ became a woman, she did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now ___________ knows in part, but then she will know fully just as she also has been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
Life Application
How will showing goodwill, patience, humility and kindness to others today change the way you feel about things and change your attitude and actions? (be specific)